11-Day Adventures in Rwanda and Uganda Safari/Tour

Overview Safari/Tour

This tour will take you on an incredible adventure through Rwanda and Uganda. You will learn about Rwanda’s history at the Kigali Genocide Museum and enjoy an informative guided tour of Kigali City. Immerse yourself in the forest whilst trekking chimpanzees. Learn about the growth and production of Rwanda’s tea farms and partake in tea making. Relax on the beautiful Gisenyi Beach. Get your adrenaline pumping on the Mount Bisoke Hike and enjoy Gorilla trekking in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

Day 1 Safari/Tour

Arrival: Kigali

On arrival in Kigali, you will be met by your driver-guide for the tour. After collecting your luggage, you will start your tour with a visit to the Kimironko Market. The Kimironko Market is the busiest market in town. Vendors sell produce from Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, while locals from all over the city head here to stock up on fruit, vegetables, and general household necessities. This is the place to experience Rwanda at its liveliest.

After exploring the market we will enjoy a traditional late lunch close by.

After lunch, you will enjoy an informative, guided tour of Kigali City. This tour will lead you into the rims of Rwanda’s capital exploring the city to the fullest. You will also enjoy incredible views from the top of Mt. Kigali as well as a mural walk.

Tonight you will have the evening to explore the city and enjoy dinner and drinks with your tour group (Own account).

Main Destination: Kigali (City, Rwanda)

Accommodation: The Nest (Mid-range guest house located in or near Kigali)

Meals & Drinks: Lunch (Breakfast & dinner not included)

Drinks not included

Day 2 Safari/Tour

Kigali Activities: Genocide Museum Tour, Nyanze Palace & Butare Ethnographic Museum

After breakfast, we depart for the Kigali Genocide Museum. This tour will be led by a local guide with an incredible in depth knowledge of the museum. On this tour, you will discover the real history behind the “Genocide against the Tutsi”. You will need a couple of hours to grasp this heart-breaking civil war of 100 days where millions of people are slaughtered to death.

Next, visit a reconstruction of the traditional royal residence, the King’s Palace. This is a beautifully-crafted thatched dwelling shaped like a beehive. At the back live a few long-horned Inyambo cattle, descended from the king’s herd, whose keepers carefully tend and sing to them.

Lastly, we will stop off at the nearby Ethnographic Museum. This museum houses one of Africa’s finest ethnographic collections, and makes a good combination with the King’s Palace. Some things you can expect to see are: the museum shop, geological displays, agriculture, hunting, animal husbandry, weaving, pottery and woodwork.

Main Destination: Kigali Genocide Memorial (Kigali, Rwanda)

Accommodation: Nyungwe Nziza Eco-Lodge (Budget lodge bordering Nyungwe Forest NP without fences)

Meals & Drinks: Breakfast & dinner (Lunch not included)

Drinks not included

Day 3 Safari/Tour

Chimpanzee & Primate Trekking & Tea Picking & Production

After breakfast on day three, we head for the Nyungwe Forest National Park to track Chimps.

The sightings vary quite significantly from one group to the next but experiencing the engaging playfulness and human-like characteristics of these chimps make the long day worthwhile. The best chance of seeing the Chimps is when they’re high up in the trees before they come down to forage for food, so make sure you bring your binoculars!

While you search for the Chimp groups, you will most likely see other primates too.

For the tea lovers, you can look forward to visiting a local tea plantation. Tea is the largest export in Rwanda as the temperate; climate and the fertile volcanic soil are perfect for growing tea. You will also learn how tea is harvested & processed.

Main Destination: Nyungwe Forest National Park (Chimps)

Best Time for Safari/Tour to Visit: Oct to Feb (Best chimp trekking, without heavy rain)

Best Weather Safari/Tour: June to October (Sunny, but not too hot)

Accommodation: Nyungwe Nziza Eco-Lodge(Budget lodge bordering Nyungwe Forest NP without fences)

Meals & Drinks: Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)

Drinks not included

Day 4 Safari/Tour

Forest Canopy Walk & Gisenya Beach

Today you will enjoy a scenic Forest Canopy walk and the beautiful Gisenya Beach.

Nyungwe Forest is the largest protected mountain forest in Africa, covering between 1600 and 2000 sq metres and being a five hour drive into the middle of Rwanda.

This long drive to Nyungwe gives the guests an opportunity to drink in the country’s diverse scenery and the imposing landscape. Once you get to the park, you will experience one of the many unbelievable adventures you will have on this tour, the canopy walk.

After the canopy walk, you will enjoy the beautiful and pristine Gisenyi beach, often referred to as the “St Tropez of Africa”.

This tropical paradise is complete with palm trees, hotels, resorts and community campsites around Lake Kivu. The beaches are great for swimming, beach soccer and volleyball, boat rides and sun bathing, or even taking a long stroll along the beach front.

Enjoy a relaxed lunch close to the beach this afternoon.

Main Destination: Volcanoes National Park (Gorillas)

Best Time for Safari/Tour to Visit: Jun to Sep (It is drier and trails are easier to hike)

Best Weather Safari/Tour: June to October (Sunny, but not too hot)

Accommodation:: Red Rocks Rwanda (Outside Volcanoes NP)

Meals & Drinks: Breakfast & dinner (Lunch not included)

Drinks not included

Day 5 Safari/Tour

Mount Bisoke Hike

Today is for the adventure lovers. Mt Bisoke stands tall at 3700m and has the typical iconic shape of a “perfect” volcano. Inside the crater lies a deep crater lake.

Mt Bisoke the volcano does not present an exceptionally demanding climb but it is nevertheless still a tough hike. The high elevation demands extra strength of climbers and the whole excursion can take between 5 hours and the whole day depending on the speed of the walk and the frequency of stops.

The ascent typically takes around 3 hours. During the climb, you will cross a series of different vegetation habitats starting with bamboo forests, then moving into Hagenia – Hypericum forest and finally moving through Senecio – Lobelia bush near the summit. You will also have a chance to spot Gorillas on this excursion.

Main Destination: Mount Bisoke (Mountain, Rwanda)

Accommodation: Red Rocks Rwanda

Meals & Drinks: All meals included

Drinks not included

Day 6 Safari/Tour

Bee Keeping, Agricultural Tour & Local Cuisine

Today, after breakfast, join the local Bee Keeping Association to their bee hives which they keep in the swampy forest areas.

Here you will help the beekeepers collect honey and work with the hives while learning about the bee keeping process.

You will also become part of one of the local families by visiting their gardens, cutting grass, for farm animals and be introduced to traditional methods of farming for an agricultural activity in the fields. Get involved in the conservation program, help the villagers to plant trees to restore the environment.

In the evening you will be introduced to the traditional ways of Rwandan cuisines, local women and youth will join you in preparation of the meals which will be shared as dinner.

Main Destination: Volcanoes National Park (Gorillas)

Accommodation: Red Rocks Rwanda

Meals & Drinks: Breakfast & dinner (Lunch not included)

Drinks not included

Day 7 Safari/Tour

Explore or relax

Today, after a sleep-in, enjoy breakfast and take some time to go through your photos or share highlights of the tour so far.

This day is free for you to spend at leisure or explore some more.

Enquire for optional activities you could do for an additional cost.

Main Destination: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)

Best Time for Safari/Tour to Visit: June to August and December to February

Best Weather Safari/Tour: June to July and December to February (Less rainfall)

Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge

Meals & Drinks: Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)

Drinks not included

Day 8 Safari/Tour

Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi National Park

Today we go trekking! The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a bio-diverse, mountainous area in southwest Uganda.

It’s home to many of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, who feed on roots, leaves and fruits from the Park’s many tree- and fern species.

Restricted numbers of viewing permits help to protect the endangered gorillas. In the park, rough paths weave amid dense forests.

Gorilla trekking can be challenging – the terrain gets tricky and it is not always possible to predict how long the trek will take. Today’s schedule, route and duration is dependent on the movement of these great Apes, but generally, this activity can take between 2 to 8 hours.

This is truly the most adventurous wildlife encounter one can experience.

Main Destination: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)

Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge

Meals & Drinks: Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)

Drinks not included

Day 9 Safari/Tour

Game Drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, we depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park. This park stretches from Lake George in the north-east to Lake Edward in the southwest. The wildlife rich Kazinga Channel connects the the two lakes, making this a unique mix of savanna and lakes.

The highlight of visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park is the opportunity to spot the rare black-maned tree-climbing lions in the Rukungiri District. While you keep an eye open for these incredible lions, you may expect to see a variety of primates birds and some reptiles.

Glance into trembling treetops and you will be sure to see inquisitive red tailed monkeys swinging from atop a lush canopy.

Main Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda)

Best Time for Safari/Tour to Visit: January to February and June to July (Dry seasons)

Best Weather Safari/Tour: June to July and January to February (Less rainfall)

Meals & Drinks: Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)

Drinks not included

Day 10 Safari/Tour

Lion Trekking & Game Viewing Boat Cruise on the Kazinga Channel

After breakfast today, set off on a Lion Trekking expedition. Lion tracking research is an off beaten experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park. It’s an exceptional encounter with the kings of the jungle in their natural habitat.

The experience rewards you with an up close encounter with lions unlike in “normal” game drives. This experience is all about in depth research about lions, their feeding habits, social habitats, and lifestyle of lions in the wilderness.

Enjoy a boat cruise along the Kazinga channel. This is home to a number of animal and bird species – including the world’s largest concentration of hippos and Nile crocodiles. Animal species to be on the lookout for include Nile crocodiles, hippos, monitor lizards, buffaloes, and elephants.

There are also about 60 species of birds that can be sighted during a boat cruise. Species such as African skimmers, black bee-eaters, pink-backed pelicans and reed cormorants are just a few out of the many that can be seen.

Main Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda)

Accommodation: Bush Lodge

Meals & Drinks: Breakfast ,Lunch & dinner included

Drinks not included

Day 11 Safari/Tour

Depart Kigali

After breakfast, you will depart for the Kigali Airport where you will depart.

Main Destination: Kigali International Airport (Airport/Airstrip, Rwanda)

Accommodation: No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks: Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)

Drinks not included

End of Safari/Tour

Included Safari/Tour

• Park fees (For non-residents)
• Gorilla permits (One per person, non-resident)
• Chimp permits (One per person, non-resident)
• All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
• All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
• A professional driver/guide
• All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
• All Taxes/VAT
• Roundtrip airport transfer
• Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)

Excluded Safari/Tour

• International flights (From/to home)
• Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
• Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
• Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
• Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
• Some meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
• Drinks